The First Episode
The palace was the target of abortive attacks by the Russian-supported Chechen opposition forces through 1994 but was not targeted in the initial Russian bombing campaign. During the early phase of the 1994–1995 Battle of Grozny the palace was the primary objective of the disastrous New Year's Eve assault by the Russian forces,34 the place where all columns of the Russian armour were supposed to meet after advancing from various directions, as well as the further Russian attacks. The soldier who would raise the flag of Russia over the building was promised to have become a Hero of the Russian Federation and the Russian Defense Minister Pavel Grachev even claimed his forces captured it during the initial storming.5 Although Dudayev left Grozny early in the battle,6 the massive concrete structure of his presidential palace turned into the main Chechen stronghold in the city. It, together with the surrounding buildings, was fiercely defended by several hundred separatist fighters, including some of Dudayev's presidential guards and the battalion of Shamil Basayev. The basement under the palace became the battle headquarters of Aslan Maskhadov, the Chechen chief of staff, shared with a field hospital and an improvised prisoner-of-war camp for captured Russian soldiers. Sergei Kovalev (Boris Yeltsin's human rights commissioner), six other State Dumadeputies, as well as several journalists and aid workers (including Viktor Popkov) were also trapped in the bunker for days following the initial Russian attack.78 The Russian forces shelled the building for nearly three weeks, scoring hundreds of direct artillery hits, including with mortars, point-blank tank fire and a particularly devastating salvo of BM-21 rockets. They deployed thousands of troops for some two weeks of fierce fighting that completely destroyed many of the municipal buildings and houses near the palace and reduced it to little more than a gutted shell. Eventually, by January 16 the Russians managed to surround the burning building on three sides (the fourth being the Sunzha River), but still failed to dislodge the defenders.910 On January 17, 1995, two enormous nine-ton bunker buster bombs were dropped, in a rare instance of the use of precision-guided munitions by the Russian Air Force in Chechnya. One of them penetrated the building and exploded in the underground hospital, killing at least 50–60 people including many of the prisoners;811 the second one, which landed just metres from Maskhadov's command post, failed to explode and Maskhadov escaped unhurt.12 After midnight on January 18, the ruined building was abandoned by the last defenders, who crossed a bridge to the other side of the river under cover of darkness, and was finally seized by the Russians the next day.1113 The site was a scene of a massive peace demonstration in February 1996. The rally ended in bloodshed when the Russian government forces fired on the demonstrators, killing several people.1415 The Russians demolished the ruins soon afterwards.1617 BUT WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW is that the Interhamwe was there after the Russians took it. They then took defenses as the Russians left for the Chechen counterattack. The battle lasted 2 months and there were up to a thousand casualties. All Chechen casualties. The Interhamwe fought with almost nothing yet some how held long enough to hold reinforcements. They even dragged captured Chechen mortars half a mile to use as support. 1. Kila Mwhutu anapaswa kujua kuwa mwanamke wa Kitatutsi, yeye ni mtu gani, hufanya kazi kwa faida ya kabila lake la Watutsi. Kama matokeo, tutazingatia msaliti yeyote Mhutu ambaye anaoa mwanamke wa Tutsi humajiri mwanamke wa Tutsi kama suria humajiri mwanamke wa Tutsi kama katibu au anamchukua chini ya ulinzi. 2. Kila Mwhutu anapaswa kujua kuwa binti zetu za Wahutu wanafaa zaidi na wenye uangalifu katika jukumu lao kama mwanamke, mke na mama wa familia. Je! Wao sio wazuri, makatibu wazuri na waaminifu zaidi? 3. Wanawake wa Kihutu, muwe macho na jaribu kuwarudisha waume zenu, kaka na watoto wa kiume kwa sababu. 4. Kila Mwhutu anapaswa kujua kuwa kila Mtutsi ni mwaminifu katika biashara. Kusudi lake pekee ni ukuu wa kabila lake. Kama matokeo, Mhutu yeyote anayefanya yafuatayo ni msaliti: hufanya kushirikiana na Watutsi katika biashara huwekeza pesa zake au pesa za serikali katika biashara ya Tutsi kukopesha au kukopa pesa kutoka kwa Mtutsi inatoa neema kwa Watutsi katika biashara (kupata leseni za kuagiza, mikopo ya benki, tovuti za ujenzi, masoko ya umma, nk). 5. Nafasi zote za kimkakati, kisiasa, kiutawala, kiuchumi, kijeshi na usalama zinapaswa kukabidhiwa Wahutu tu. 6. Sekta ya elimu (wanafunzi wa shule, wanafunzi, walimu) lazima iwe Wahutu wengi. 7. Kikosi cha Wanajeshi wa Rwanda kinapaswa kuwa Wahutu peke yao. Uzoefu wa vita vya Oktoba 1990 umetufundisha somo. Hakuna mwanachama wa jeshi atakayeolewa na Mtutsi. 8. Wahutu wanapaswa kuacha kuwahurumia Watutsi. 9. Wahutu, popote walipo, lazima wawe na umoja na mshikamano na washughulikie hatma ya ndugu zao Wahutu. Wahutu ndani na nje ya Rwanda lazima watafute marafiki na washirika mara kwa mara kwa sababu ya Wahutu, kuanzia na ndugu zao Wahutu. Lazima wagombane na uwongo wa Tutsi. Wahutu lazima wawe hodari na wenye macho dhidi ya adui wao wa kawaida wa Tutsi. 10. Mapinduzi ya Kijamaa ya 1959, Marejeleo ya 1961, na Itikadi ya Wahutu, lazima yafundishwe kwa kila Mwhutu katika kila ngazi. Kila Muhutu lazima aeneze itikadi hii kwa upana. Mwhutu yeyote anayemtesa ndugu yake Hutu kwa sababu ya kusoma, kueneza, na kufundisha itikadi hii ni msaliti. 1